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January/February 2005 Conscious Media
In Review

Out of the Labyrinth
By Carl Frankel, Monkfish Book Publishing Company, 2004, $16.95

Out of the Labyrinth is the personal journey of Carl Frankel, a writer, journalist, consultant and entrepreneur specializing in sustainable development. Author of In Earth's Company: Business, Environment and the Challenge of Sustainability, in this book he attempts to make sense for himself, and for us, of who we are as human beings, with all our programming, desires and vulnerabilities; how we go wrong, when we all really want the same thing; and finally what we can do about it. This book is dedicated to Carl's parents, who were murdered in their home in 1979. It is also, in a sense a tribute to the work of Carl's father, Charles Frankel, an eminent philosophy professor from Columbia University, yet goes beyond it with insights and messages that are vitally needed today.

A bit like the Ayurvedic system of doshas, Frankel posits a triad of domains or dimensions to which all the themes of human tendencies and aptitudes can be traced. "The Objective domain, houses our cognitive abilities, the social domain is where our interpersonal skills reside, and the depth dimension is home to our artistic and spiritual capacities." These domains are reflected in the sub-personalities of the strategist, the citizen and the seeker.

As Frankel leads us through the labyrinth of our creation, the relationships among the pieces of the puzzle emerge - pieces that include people, social structures, the ecosystem and spiritual beliefs. Like a puzzle too, they begin to make more sense as they are fitted together.

The model he crafts so pursuasively is far more complex and deeply-founded than I am able to convey here. But what I loved about the book is that Frankel doesn't, stop at the model, but goes on to the solution. Alas, for our society, it is not a quick fix - it is what he calls the Integral Way. It is a practice of seeking harmony by looking for higher order solutions - ones that can encompass divergent views because they are reframed in a greater context. It is at the end of the day, the only path to personal and global harmony.

Though fluidly written and engaging, this challenging book demands reflection. It is not a casual read, but ultimately a profoundly mind-expanding one.

---Miriam Knight

Soul Signs
By Rosemary Altea, Rodale, 2004, $24.95

"The human race is ready to again acknowledge that we are more than human, that our souls are powerful forces," writes Rosemary Altea. For over 20 years, Altea has worked with the spirit world and passed on the wisdom she has learned. This time, she shares the "gift of soul recognition" and how soul energy works through us. Our soul "propels us into action. When we think of our own energy, it can be hard to grasp how powerful a force each of us is."

She teaches the ways our souls drive the processes in our minds and hearts that lead to actions, how we operate in relationships, and what we can and cannot change about ourselves. Altea describes five energy groups and 13 soul signs or variations of energy groups, guiding readers to recognize their soul sign, their instinctive urges. Discover which energy group, earth, air, fire, water or sulphur, primarily infuses your soul. Are you driven to express emotion? Are you driven to compromise? In relationships, are you an easy going air soul that drives a strategy oriented earth soul crazy?

Do not confuse soul signs with astrology or other philosophies, advises Altea. Learning about the "science of the soul" expands perceptions about self, others, situations and relationships, for our souls hold our knowledge. Altea hopes that we grow our souls and don't repeat the same mistakes. Her book, written with heart in a flowing easy manner, makes for an enjoyable journey of discovery.

--Patrice Sutton

The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature
By Starhawk, HarperSanFrancisco; 2004, $19.95

As people who are concerned about the environment, it is often easy to view ourselves as destroyers wreaking havoc everywhere we go. We can even believe that the Earth would be better off without us. In her latest book, The Earth Path, Starhawk argues against this belief. She points out that not only is it negative and defeatist (after all who really wants to fight for something that ultimately argues for one's own extinction), but it puts humans outside of nature. We need to realize that we are a part of nature and therefore can and must make positive changes from within.

Starhawk also states that we can't be expected to make intelligent decisions about genetically modified food, clean power or water conservation if we don't understand how nature's systems work. She remedies this with simple, easy-to-follow explanations of the earth, air, fire and water cycles. For the spiritual side, she includes many meditations, rituals, journaling exercises and earth walks to aid us in our leap into the unfamiliar.

The Earth Path has been referred to as a sequel to The Spiral Dance and it does indeed build on the teachings of that groundbreaking book. However, Starhawk's new book embodies a real shift in her focus and what she sees as our human responsibility.

Practitioners of earth-based spirituality will doubtless benefit from the spiritual wisdom contained in this book. Starhawk offers many practical tips such as replacing regular light bulbs with low-energy-use bulbs or limiting your use of electricity by insuring that your appliances are truly off when not in use. More in-depth tips include water collection and storage and gray water filtration systems. Enthusiastic readers who decide to implement her suggestions will have well-rounded ideas for improving every aspect of their homes or apartments.

Whether you desire to "get off the grid," educate yourself about the dangers of genetically modified seeds, or connect yourself to the rest of the natural world in a way you've never been, you'll find something useful and life-changing in this book.

--Deborah Kingry

Opening to Meditation, A Gentle, Guided Approach
by Diana Lang, New World Library, 2004

This beautiful book and CD set is a wonderful read for the novice or for someone who wants to brush up on their techniques and goals for meditating. The book offers suggestions on how to meditate, where to sit quietly and how to create your own sacred space, correct breathing techniques, and how to focus your attention and intention for a successful meditation session.

The book is clearly written and reads very easily. Author Diana Lang answers many common questions on the art of meditating in the second half of the book and then ends the book with a short, concise meditation that is wonderfully relaxing and healing.

The included CD covers two types of meditations. The first one is called "Opening" and is designed to help you focus your thoughts, let go of worries, instill inner calm and reconnect us to our creative flow and purpose, and redirect us to our path of enlightenment. The second meditation is called "Deepening" and this meditation is designed to heal your heart of emotional pain, and quiet your anger while providing you with a deep sense of relaxation.

I enjoyed the book and I have benefited from Diana Lang's 25 years of teaching experience. She is a woman dedicated to the art of mediating and I believe her closing statement sums up the message of her book. She says, "I am happy to offer you this map to help you on your way. Blessings to you on your sacred journey."

-- Jacque Valentine

The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past
By Zecharia Sitchin, Inner Traditions International, 2004, $24.00

If you are not familiar with Zecharia Sitchin's books, (The 12^th Planet is a good starting point) this one will surely give you a taste for them. Sitchin is a scholar of archaeology and ancient languages and civilizations. He fearlessly goes where traditional scholars fear to tread, and makes ancient history read like a Sci Fi adventure. The Earth Chronicles Expeditions is his autobiographical recounting of a half century of investigative expeditions to unravel the enigmas of ancient civilizations and their gods.

For the first time Sitchin reveals the foundational research that resulted in the concrete evidence for his conclusions that ancient myths were recollections of factual events, that the gods of ancient peoples were visitors to Earth from another planet, and that we are not alone in our own solar system. In the course of his investigations Sitchin also became convinced of the veracity of the Bible.

Sitchin's expeditions take readers from the Yucatan peninsula to the isle of Crete to ancient Egypt and the lands of the Bible as he explores the links between the Old World and the New World. His adventurous exploits reveal archaeological coverups concerning Olmec origins in Mexico and ancient UFO artifacts in Turkey. Other quests send him through the holy sites of Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon in search of evidence of extraterrestrial gods in the artifacts and murals of these ancient civilizations.

The Earth Chronicles Expeditions contains 60 color and 159 black-and-white images from the author's personal archive, including previously unpublished photographic evidence of UFOs in biblical times. It is a masterful historical and archaeological adventure into the origins of mankind.

The Calico Shaman
by Carla Person, Coccora Press, 2004, $14.95

In this book of animal tales through a Shaman's eyes, author Carla Person describes how, with the assistance of her guides, she connects with the animal's soul.

Once she understands the nature of the problem from a distressed pet owner, Carla, who resides in Oregon, will sit quietly with her drums, rattles, feathers, herbs and stones to prepare. She will journey through separate spiritual levels of worlds, as is the Shamanic way, to reach a true understanding of the animal's grief or sadness and then with the assistance of her guides will retrieve a part of their soul, administer herbs, or take the animal deep within her for healing. This book offers seven individual stories of such healings and is written so descriptively that the reader feels as though they are journeying with the Shaman.

The author chose to write in third person in order for each reader to access the wisdom that is right for them, though that made it more difficult to make sense of the characters. I felt the story lines in each of the seven tales were a little weak, and the small overview that was provided at the end of each story could have been more explicit and complete in wrapping up the details of the Shamanic work that was done on each of the animals. I wanted more information about the outcome for the pet, and to hear more of the owner's remarks after each journey.

That said, this book was very descriptive and fun to read, so just let your imagination take you on a journey through time and space.

-- Jacque Valentine

Other Media in Review

Khumb Mela: Songs of the River
A Documentary Film by Nadeem Uddin, Samsara Films, 2004

The Kumbh Mela, "Festival of the Urn", is a great festival that has been continuously celebrated in India for more than four thousand years. From all over the land pilgrims come to bathe in the Holy waters of the Ganges, Yamuna, and invisible Saraswati rivers ('Liquid God'), to become more pure, to have a chance to experience divine Yoga (union) with the Supreme, and to pray for peace and rebirth for self and the world.

Temporary cities are erected on the vast plain of Allahabad, India, where the 70 million people attending the 2001 Kumbh Mela made it the largest gathering of humanity in recorded history. It was not just the final Kumbh Mela in a 12-year cycle of festivals. It was the final festival of 12 cycles - the conclusion of a giant 144-year cycle, making it "Maha" Kumbh Mela, the Great Festival. This 144-year buildup of spiritual meaning made it a powerfully auspicious time. Even the planets and stars joined in, providing heavenly alignments not seen for 144 years.

This documentary draws you into the kaleidoscopic mix of color, sound, and mood. It beautifully captures the images of pilgrims and teachers of many faiths, races and nationalities, such as the Dalai Lama and Dr. Andrew Weil. Watching it, you are adrift in a sea of exhuberant spirituality that feels both strange and yet familiar, and you happily abandon your senses to its ebb and flow. It is a film to be experienced with the heart rather than the intellect.

Producer/director Nadeem Uddin is a native of Bhopal, India, now residing in Pacific Northwest. He has produced and photographed programs for Indian television and social activist organizations, including a documentary on the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak disaster in Bhopal, India. The other team members are from Seattle: David Brunn, an accomplished musician and audio engineer who has taught North Indian classical tabla for more than 20 years, and Gordon Modin who has photographed, edited and engineered audio for industrial and commercial projects around the.

To arrange a screening contact Samsara Films at (206-334-0315 or go to www.kmp2001.com/press/samsarapr.html.